Marker for marking container covers



May 26, 1931. M. M. SEDWICK 1,807,558

MARKER FOR MARKING CONTAINER COVERS Filed Dec. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Shee l 4 gwuwntoz y 6, 1931. M. M. SEDWICK 1,807,558

MARKER FOR MARKING CONTAINER COVERS Filed Dec. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

Patented May 26,1931

UNITED STATES *PATENT OFFICE MATHEW M. SEDWICK, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF -NEW YORK MARKER FOR MARKING CONTAINER COVERS Application filed December 16, 1929. Serial No. 414,430.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in marking devices for impressing a character in the metal of the cover or end of a container prior to the attachment of the cover or end to the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a marker wherein the metal has a character impressed therein by cooperating marking heads movable toward and from each other and with a traveling cover or end during the marking thereof, and wherein the heads maintain the faces of the marking devices in parallelism throughout the entire movements of said heads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a marker of the above type wherein the marking heads remain in a vertical position throughout their entire travel and are so timed that one of said heads can move into a depression in the cover or end for impressing an identifying mark in the metal in the bottom wall of the depression.

' These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a view partly in top plan and partly in section showing a marker embodying the invention and its relation to a cover feeding "mechanism for feeding the covers while they are being marked.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. ,3 is a view in front elevation of the marker showing the cover support in section.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

( Fig. 5 is an end viewof a supporting sleeve for one of the marking heads.

Fig. 6'is a vertical sectional view therethrough.

Fi 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a trave ing cover or end and the various positions of the marking heads for impressing an' identifying mark in the metal of the cover or end.

The invention is directed to a marker for impressing an identifying mark in the metal of a cover or can end. The marker is particularly adapted for impressing an identifying mark in the bottom wall of a depression in a cover or end, such as a friction plug cover. The marker includes two marking heads which are opposed to each other and which cooperate in the impressing of the identifying characters in the metal of the cover or end.

Each marking head ,is carried by a shaft which in turn is mounted in a rotating sleeve. The rotating sleeve causes the shaft to travel bodily about the center of the sleeve and the marking head to travel bodily in a circular path. There is means associated'with each marking head which maintains the marking head in vertical position throughout the entire bodil travel thereof. Thus it is that, the two mar 'ng heads are moved toward and from each other while the planes of the respective marking faces are maintained in parallelism.

The invention will better be understood by a detailed reference to the drawings. The cover to be marked is shown in the drawings at 1 and is of the friction plug type. Each cover has a central depression forming the friction wall which holds the plug seated in the container body. The cover or end is marked by the impression of identifying characters in the bottom wall of this depres-- sion. The identifying characters are indicated at 2 in the drawings. These identifying characters are produced by two cooperat: ing marking heads 3 and 4. The marking head 3 is carried by a shaft 5. This shaft 5 is mounted in a sleeve 6 which sleeve is pro- I vided with a cylindrical opening 7 and the shaft. is carried in bushin s 8, 8 mounted in this 0 'ening. The sleeve in turn is mounted in bus ings 9, 9 located in a cylindrical opening in the main frame member 10. The shaft 5 extends all the way through said sleeve and carries a head 11 at the inner end thereof.

with a gear 18 carried by the sleeve 15. Thus it is that the two sleeves rotate in opposite directions and in timing with each other. The shafts 5 and 12 are so positioned in the sleeves that they move toward and from each other. In Fig. 3 the shafts are shown as having moved to the extreme in a direction toward each other and as the sleeves continue to rotate, the shafts with the marking heads thereon will move away from each other. The head 11 carried by the inner end of the shaft 5 is provided with a rod 19. This rod 19 extends through a bushing 20 in a head 21 which is fixed to the end of the shaft 12. The rod 19 can slide freely in the bushing and thus it is that the shafts 5 and 12 are held from rotation during the travel of the sleeves. The sleeves are rotated by means of a gear wheel 22. The gear Wheel 22 is driven from a gear wheel 23 which in turn is operated by a sleeve shaft 24 connected through a clutch 25 with a shaft 26a. This shaft 26a carries a sprocket Wheel 26 which may be actuated in any suitable way. The gear 27a actuates the shaft 27 b which in turn actuates the cover feed.

The marking head 3 includes a stem portion extending through a sleeve in the outer end of the shaft 5. Mounted at the lower end of the stem is a clamping head 27 which carries the marking dies 28. The marking head 4.- also includes a stem which is mounted in a sleeve at the outer end of the shaft 12 and on the upper end of this stem is a holder 29 for the marking dies 30. The stem of the head 3 is capable of being raised and lowered by suitable adjusting devices indicated at 31.

The covers are fed from a cover stack which is indicated at 32 in the drawings. They are received by a rotating turret 33 having segmental pockets which receive the covers and move the covers over a support. When the marking heads are separated from each other the cover is placed between the heads and as the cover is moving the marking heads move into engagement with the cover and impress the identifying mark therein.

The cover in the diagrammatic view of Fig. 7 is shown at A as'moving in the direction of the arrow between the markin heads 3 and 4. At B the cover has been placed between the marking heads and they are approaching each other. The marking head 4 has engaged the bottom Wall of the depression in the cover and has raised the cover slightly from the support for the cover which is indicated at 34. When the position C is reached, as indicated in this figure, the marking heads have moved to the full limit toward each other, have gripped the metal of the cover, and impressed the identifying mark therein. .The marking heads then move away from the cover and the cover is lowered onto the support 34 and continues its movement through the operation ofthe turret 33 thereon. When the position D is reached the cover is just being lowered onto the support and in broken lines the further travel of the marking heads is illustrated, while the end is moving in the direction of the arrow.

It will be noted from the above that the marking faces of the marking heads are always maintained in parallelism. The marking heads are also always maintained vertical. The lower marking head will lift the cover until it is engaged by the upper marking head. The upper marking head moves down into the depression, engages the bottom wall of the depression, and then moves out of the depression. By this vertical movement into the depression and out of the depression the marker is adapted to impress an identifying mark in the bottom wall of a depression of relatively small diameter. This enables small covers for very small containers to be marked and the placing of the identifying mark in the bottom wall of a depression in the cover.

It will be understood that the marking device is equally efiicient in connection with the marking of covers which are to be attached to the body by double seaming, as well as covers having a depression forming a friction plug for closing the container.

It will be understood that other ways may be devised for supporting and operating the marking heads; the essential feature consists in the bodily travel of each head and each head held in a vertical position during the entire bodily travel thereof.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A marking device for covers including cooperating marking heads, a shaft on which each head is mounted, a pair of rotatable sleeves, one for each shaft, the shafts being mounted on said sleeves at one side of the center thereof, means for rotating the sleeves, and means for preventing the shafts from rotating in the sleeves whereby the marking heads are maintained in vertical position throughout their bodily movement.

2. A marking device for covers including cooperating marking head-s, a shaft on which each head is mounted, a pair of rotatable sleeves, one for each shaft, the shafts being mounted on said sleeves at one side of the center thereof, means for rotating the sleeves, a member carried by one of said shafts and supporting a rod extending in a line intersecting the axis of the other shaft, a sleeve on the end of said last-named shaft through which said rod extends whereby said shafts are held from rotation and the marking heads maintained in vertical position throughout their travel.

3. A marking device for covers including cooperating marking heads, said heads having cooperating dies for impressing a mark in a cover, a shaft for each head, a sleeve Cir for each shaft, said shafts being mounted in said sleeves eccentrically of the center thereof, means for rotating said sleeves, said shafts being disposed so that the marking heads move toward and from each other, and means f or maintaining said marking heads in Vertical position throughout their travel.

4. A marking device for covers including cooperating marking heads, said heads having cooperating dies for impressing a mark in a cover, a shaft for each head, a sleeve for each shaft, said shafts being mounted in said sleeves eccentrically of the center thereof, means for rotating said sleeves, said shafts being disposed so that the marking heads move toward and from each other, a member carried by one shaft and having a rod extending therefrom in a line intersecting the axis of the other shaft, a sleeve member carried by said last-named shaft through which said rod extends for preventing the shafts from rotating during the rotation of the sleeves and thus maintaining the marking heads in vertical position throughout their entire travel.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

MATHEW M. SEDWICK. 

